Does the presence of a (fake) snake affect how much birds eat from a feeder? (summary)
Study question:How would birds react to a fake snake near a bird feeder? How much how much bird feed would be eaten with/without the snake?
Hypothesis: I hypothesize that birds will be more cautious when a snake is present near a feeder compared to when there is no snake. Therefore, they would eat less bird seed when the snake is present and this can be measured by weighing the bird seed at the start and end of each period with and without the snake.
Information I would like to draw from this project: I would like to find out how much bird seed would be eaten with the snake around the bird feeder, and how much bird seed would be eaten if the snake was not around or near the bird feeder.
I would also like to find out how long it would take for the bird to figure out that it was a fake snake, but I might not have the time to find that out.
Why I am using a snake: Snakes are natural predators of birds. That is one of the main reasons I am using snakes as a way to find out how much bird seed will be eaten if the snake is close or around the bird feeder and how much bird seed will be eaten if the snake is not around the bird feeder. Another reason i am doing this is also because i want to see if the birds will join up together and take a stand against the snake and also if the birds will figure out if the snake is fake eventually. Also who knows? Maybe a hawk or an eagle will show up and "kill" the snake.
Full Report
Does the presence of a (fake) snake affect how much birds eat from a feeder?
Introduction
Snakes are the natural predators of birds, I wondered how the birds would react to a (fake) snake near a feeder and how much bird feed the birds would eat w/without the snake near the bird feeder. A short search did not show other studies on this topic. However I will do a more thorough search during the course of the project. One study looked at how herons and egrets avoid venomous sea snakes. This study does not give information relevant to my project. My project is for any type of bird(s) not just herons and egrets, also my project does not study birds at sea. (Caldwell and Rubinoff, 1983).
Study Question
I measured how much bird seed would be eaten with the snake and without the snake present near the feeder. I will also try to observe if there are other ways the snake would affect the birds.
Research Summary
(See above)
Hypothesis
There will be less bird seed eaten with the (fake) snake around and therefore more remaining seed. Also birds might be more cautious around the bird feeder when the (fake) snake is around.
Variables
Independent variables - presence of snake Dependent variables - end amt. of bird seed Control variables - starting amt. of bird seed, time of observation, weather, species of tree
Methods and Materials
Materials used - 2lbs bag of Wild Birds Unlimited bird seed - Fake/Artificial snake - 1 Bird Feeder
For the 1st week of my experiment I will place a bird feeder at home and put bird seed in it. I will see how much bird seed is eaten in 1 week. For the 2nd week of my experiment I will the same starting amount of bird seed in the bird feeder. I will place a snake on top of the bird feeder and I will see how much bird seed is eaten in 1 week.
Observations
The first week of my project was done without the use of the fake snake and something that was surprising was that it was a new feeder and birds discovered it very quickly and 500g of bird seed was eaten in a week! It has been over a week, I started week 2 of my experiment on Saturday (3rd of October, 2015). I have put the fake snake on their and will post a picture of it and my observations are supportive of my hypothesis. I observed that the birds still came to the bird feeder, but when they fed they had to quickly go and get a seed and go back to their tree base which is a few feet away from the feeder, the birds did that about 10 - 13 times. Less bird seed was eaten but the birds were still eating the bird seed. This observation was extremely interesting and supportive towards my hypothesis because it varied from week 1 where the birds took their time and ate seeds until their hearts were content! Whereas in week 2 with the snake, to get the seed, the birds swiftly flew and sneakily at a little seed at a time. I also moved the snake's position once to make the snake seem more natural so that it isn't a dead give away that the snake if fake, although I cant wait to see if they will find out the snake is fake or will they? I have finished my second week of the research for the project and the birds have eaten only 254g of the 300g. Also week 1 had a lot of rainy weather and yet the birds ate 500 grams of the bird seed and week 2 was nice and sunny weather and only 254g of the bird seed was eaten, wow the snake made such a big difference!
Results and Data
Week 1 I put the bird feeder up with no snake, even though it was slightly wet the birds ate ravenously. Also this was a new feeder and in a week the birds ate 500g of bird seed.
Table 1 (without snake)
DATE
Start Amt Bird Seed
End amt Bird Seed
Snake Y/N
comments
1/10/15
300g
n/a
N
I have just put the bird seed out.
2/10/15
n/a
n/a
N
Birds are coming
3/10/15
n/a
n/a
N
Birds are eating a lot
4/10/15
refilled 300g
0g
N
Had to refill 300g of bird seed
5/10/15
n/a
n/a
N
It is raining and yet the birds are eating a lot.
6/10/15
n/a
n/a
N
Almost all the bird seed is done
7/10/15
n/a
100g
N
only 100g of bird seed left, total of 500g eaten
Week 2 I put the bird feeder back up in the same location with the snake. It was a sunny, warm day. I left it there for one week. I measured the bird seed remaining and the birds ate only 254g of the bird seed.
Table 2 (in presence of snake)
DATE
Start Amt Bird Seed
End amt Bird Seed
Snake y/n
comments
11/10/15
300g
n/a
Y
Just put out the bird feeder with the snake
12/10/15
n/a
n/a
Y
Birds are coming to the feeder
13/10/15
n/a
n/a
Y
Birds are eating are being very alert around the feeder
14/10/15
n/a
n/a
Y
Birds aren’t eating as much as last week
15/10/15
n/a
n/a
Y
birds are eating about 10 seeds at the most.
16/10/15
n/a
n/a
Y
only half the bird seed has been eaten
17/10/15
n/a
46g
Y
looks like the snake made a difference only 254g of bird seed was eaten this week whereas last week 500g of bird seed was eaten
Chart -
Discussion In my project, my hypothesis was supported and I observed significant results in my research period. The birds reacted the way I expected them to act around the presence of a snake. They seemed highly jittery when the snake was around and when eating the bird seed. They didn't linger at the feeder, quickly ate and then quickly flew off to a safe distance. They repeated this process many times. All though I didn't see any birds attack the snake as reported in - Nest Defense - Grassland birds react to snakes - Kevin Ellison & Christine Ribic -
but then I resolved that this was due to it being a bird feeder, not a nest. (bad analogy - Would you risk your life protect your home or your favorite restaurant?)
Study question: How would birds react to a fake snake near a bird feeder? How much how much bird feed would be eaten with/without the snake?
Hypothesis: I hypothesize that birds will be more cautious when a snake is present near a feeder compared to when there is no snake. Therefore, they would eat less bird seed when the snake is present and this can be measured by weighing the bird seed at the start and end of each period with and without the snake.
Information I would like to draw from this project: I would like to find out how much bird seed would be eaten with the snake around the bird feeder, and how much bird seed would be eaten if the snake was not around or near the bird feeder.
I would also like to find out how long it would take for the bird to figure out that it was a fake snake, but I might not have the time to find that out.
Why I am using a snake:
Snakes are natural predators of birds. That is one of the main reasons I am using snakes as a way to find out how much bird seed will be eaten if the snake is close or around the bird feeder and how much bird seed will be eaten if the snake is not around the bird feeder. Another reason i am doing this is also because i want to see if the birds will join up together and take a stand against the snake and also if the birds will figure out if the snake is fake eventually. Also who knows? Maybe a hawk or an eagle will show up and "kill" the snake.
Full Report
Does the presence of a (fake) snake affect how much birds eat from a feeder?
Introduction
Snakes are the natural predators of birds, I wondered how the birds would react to a (fake) snake near a feeder and how much bird feed the birds would eat w/without the snake near the bird feeder. A short search did not show other studies on this topic. However I will do a more thorough search during the course of the project. One study looked at how herons and egrets avoid venomous sea snakes. This study does not give information relevant to my project. My project is for any type of bird(s) not just herons and egrets, also my project does not study birds at sea. (Caldwell and Rubinoff, 1983).Study Question
I measured how much bird seed would be eaten with the snake and without the snake present near the feeder. I will also try to observe if there are other ways the snake would affect the birds.Research Summary
(See above)Hypothesis
There will be less bird seed eaten with the (fake) snake around and therefore more remaining seed. Also birds might be more cautious around the bird feeder when the (fake) snake is around.Variables
Independent variables - presence of snakeDependent variables - end amt. of bird seed
Control variables -
starting amt. of bird seed, time of observation, weather, species of tree
Methods and Materials
Materials used- 2lbs bag of Wild Birds Unlimited bird seed
- Fake/Artificial snake
- 1 Bird Feeder
For the 1st week of my experiment I will place a bird feeder at home and put bird seed in it. I will see how much bird seed is eaten in 1 week. For the 2nd week of my experiment I will the same starting amount of bird seed in the bird feeder. I will place a snake on top of the bird feeder and I will see how much bird seed is eaten in 1 week.
Observations
The first week of my project was done without the use of the fake snake and something that was surprising was that it was a new feeder and birds discovered it very quickly and 500g of bird seed was eaten in a week! It has been over a week, I started week 2 of my experiment on Saturday (3rd of October, 2015). I have put the fake snake on their and will post a picture of it and my observations are supportive of my hypothesis. I observed that the birds still came to the bird feeder, but when they fed they had to quickly go and get a seed and go back to their tree base which is a few feet away from the feeder, the birds did that about 10 - 13 times. Less bird seed was eaten but the birds were still eating the bird seed. This observation was extremely interesting and supportive towards my hypothesis because it varied from week 1 where the birds took their time and ate seeds until their hearts were content! Whereas in week 2 with the snake, to get the seed, the birds swiftly flew and sneakily at a little seed at a time. I also moved the snake's position once to make the snake seem more natural so that it isn't a dead give away that the snake if fake, although I cant wait to see if they will find out the snake is fake or will they? I have finished my second week of the research for the project and the birds have eaten only 254g of the 300g. Also week 1 had a lot of rainy weather and yet the birds ate 500 grams of the bird seed and week 2 was nice and sunny weather and only 254g of the bird seed was eaten, wow the snake made such a big difference!Results and Data
Week 1I put the bird feeder up with no snake, even though it was slightly wet the birds ate ravenously. Also this was a new feeder and in a week the birds ate 500g of bird seed.
Table 1 (without snake)
Bird Seed
Bird Seed
Y/N
Week 2
I put the bird feeder back up in the same location with the snake. It was a sunny, warm day. I left it there for one week. I measured the bird seed remaining and the birds ate only 254g of the bird seed.
Table 2 (in presence of snake)
Bird Seed
Bird Seed
y/n
Chart -
Discussion
In my project, my hypothesis was supported and I observed significant results in my research period. The birds reacted the way I expected them to act around the presence of a snake. They seemed highly jittery when the snake was around and when eating the bird seed. They didn't linger at the feeder, quickly ate and then quickly flew off to a safe distance. They repeated this process many times. All though I didn't see any birds attack the snake as reported in -
Nest Defense - Grassland birds react to snakes - Kevin Ellison & Christine Ribic -
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1252&context=usgsnpwrc
but then I resolved that this was due to it being a bird feeder, not a nest. (bad analogy - Would you risk your life protect your home or your favorite restaurant?)
Bibliography
REACTIONS OF BIRDS NESTLING PREDATION BY A SNAKE - Juan Carlos Matheus & Karl-L. Schuchmann -
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/on/v007n02/p0163-p0164.pdf
Predator/Problem Identification and Solutions - (unknown researcher) -
http://www.sialis.org/predatorid.htm
Nest Defense - Grassland birds react to snakes - Kevin Ellison & Christine Ribic -
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1252&context=usgsnpwrc